autumn's harvest

HIV infection is on the threshold of rapid increase in the migrant population…if change doesn’t occur…then we can expect …exponential growth in the number of people infected.—DR. GEORGE LEMP, AIDS RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Farm workers’ longevity of life is less than any other group. Add HIV to that, and I think you’ve already killed them.—VELMA SMITH, DIRECTOR OF NY’S RURAL OPPORTUNITIES

HIV isn’t just infecting the poor and socially marginalized in faraway places. It’s happening right here in our own backyard. To the people who help put food on our tables. In fact, the rate of infection among migrant workers appears to be at least 10 and perhaps 20 times that of the national average. Autumn’s Harvest takes an unflinching look at how HIV has found fertile ground in the often-overlooked migrant community. The story is told through the experience of Douglas, an African American migrant worker who was diagnosed with AIDS in the mid ‘90s. Autumn’s Harvest compels us to reflect on and respect where our food comes from. And even more important, from whom.